I had to post this. Lexi does a great Dori! She cracks me up every time she does it. And I don't mean just a chuckle. I'm talking a outright laugh so hard I....well, we won't go there. 😊 Just know it stops me in my tracks every time!

From the Craft Room and Other Cool Things:

Isn't this adorable? I just love it! Kevin has a friend who's wife lived in a home close to my BIL and SIL on a corner lot. Right on the corner she planted an old metal bed like this and then planted her flowers around it. I thought it was so darn cute. I can't plant my own right now, so every once in a while I find something I like and I have to stop and admire it for a bit.

From the Heart and Spirit:

From the Kitchen:

OUTNUMBERED ~ ONE HOUR CINNAMON ROLLS (Don't plan for leftovers. There won't be any!!!) Dough: 1. Mix and let sit for 15 minutes: 3 1/2 c. warm water... 3/4 c. sugar 1/2 c. oil 6 T. yeast (4 1/2 Saf-Instant) 2. Then add: 1 T. salt 3 eggs 10 1/2 c. flour 3. Mix together for 10 minutes, then sit for 10 minutes. 4. Oil cupboard (don't use flour), dump out dough. Divide in half. 5. Press one half out into rectangle. Spread with ¼ c. melted butter and then with cinnamon-sugar mixture. 6. Roll up tight, but not too tight. 7. Divide into 12 rolls and place on greased cookie sheet. 8. Repeat with other half of dough. Let rise. 9. Bake for 12-15 minutes at 400. Cinnamon-Sugar: 1 c. sugar 1 T. cinnamon Frosting: 1 cube butter 2 dashes salt 2 t. vanilla 6 c. powdered sugar milk Orange Rolls: Add orange concentrate to regular frosting Chocolate Rolls: Add baking cocoa and a few drops of water to regular frosting Cream cheese Rolls: Add cream cheese to regular frosting NOTES: Recipe by Camille Paskett and Shanna Roberts *My mixer is a Bosch. Hands down the best mixer available! I just wish it came in cute colors. *1 cube of butter = 1/2 c. *Orange concentrate is frozen orange juice. *I just use regular flour, not self-rising. *It really is 6 Tablespoons of yeast. I use SafInstant. I have never used the packets, so I don't know the conversion. *It really is 10 and 1/2 cups of flour. *I have never frozen the dough. These are way too easy to make to bother with freezing them. But some people have. *Rising time depends on how warm the house is, the humidity, etc. Just let them rise until they are big enough for you. *I don't know how many calories these are. Please don't tell me. *If you want half the rolls, just half the recipe. *400 degrees Fahrenheit. *I use the dough hook to mix it up.

From the Schmidt's:

Can I just tell you that today has been the day from H-E-DOUBLE-HOCKEY PUCKS! No foolin! Actually the last couple of weeks have been something out of this world! As you know Kevin was in the hospital. Then my daughter got a couple very disturbing messages from someone she never dreamed would treat her the way she has been treated....and they are family. Right after Kevin got out of the hospital we were notified that our rent was going up. We had the issue with his doctor's appointment and medication last week. Then work has been something from out of this world...nothing specific, just odd. The topper of all of this was the text message I received from Lexi while I was at work. When I got the message I thought Lexi said her chest was hurting and she was dizzy, which isn't a good combination for a part heart patient. So, I was freaking out a bit. While this was happening a co-worker was complaining that I was getting special treatment and it wasn't fair. I did what I could do about the situation at work and got my poor boss out of the line of fire from this person by taking care of things. My boss was really nice about it and a co-worker helped me through it. Thank you Corina! Needless to say, my nerves are shot! When I in the car to come home from work Kyle was in a big hurry to make it to a football game that was ultimately cancelled, but that didn't stop him from rushing me through the grocery store before heading home. At this point I was still a little freaked out worried about Lexi thinking she said chest hurting. When I got home I was corrected that it was Lexi's HEAD hurting, meaning migraine. Needless to say, I calmed down a little, made dinner, ate dinner, now it's almost 10 p.m. and I still shaky. My hands are shaking like leaves! No joke! I'm stressed and it's starting to show everywhere. Not good!

I will say this, I held it together pretty well today. The person I mentioned earlier is a chronic complainer. In fact, she was allowed to come into work for months late so many times I don't have fingers or toes enough in my entire family for each time she was late. This was overlooked. I do something purely by accident and she goes off! So frustrating! AND, all of this was caused by the fact that I was out yesterday with Kevin and I failed to do come into work in business casual attire today. If I would have thought twice about what I had planned to wear today, I would have just dressed up or brought extra clothing just in case, but it didn't even dawn on me that we needed to dress up today! My head has been on things with Kevin, household things, children, or talking to Kyle about his new job. I will admit I was totally in the wrong. I get that! Believe me. BUT, for heaven sakes woman! Cute me a little slack! I am only one person here! I already have the second largest work load of anyone on the team, and hands down, I am a hard worker! Then with everything else in my life!

For cryin out loud!

There are a whole plethora of other things going on around here lately that I failed to mention. For example, my son had to strip my laptop (or should I say, my husbands laptop) and now it takes forever to access any website, and copy and paste has become quite the chore! This doesn't make me a happy camper! OR that the frickin' dog barks at anything or anyone that even sounds like they might come knock on our door. I'm not sure what has him in high gear, but that's got to stop, pronto! Then there is the fact that I can't seem to sleep lately. The list goes on.

{breathe!!!}

I don't know what's going on lately, but it's as if the world is off it's axis. I kid you not! AND, I know why this is happening. I do! So, things are not going to be right again until after this wedding. Now, to find a way to hold on and try to enjoy this time.

It's really no wonder that I see a therapist at least once a month, right??!!! Everyone tells me I internalize things, and that certain individuals are toxic and eventually if they are allowed to continue the way they are they will, no doubt, cause the end of me. I'm not even joking here! I was imploding because I couldn't talk to anyone about things. Not because I didn't try, because I did, often....but the people I tried to talk to didn't or wouldn't hear it. That was an eye opener for sure! Something I have know for most of my married life, but not something I felt could be avoided or prevented, or should be for that matter. Thankfully things have changed somewhat now. I thank my Heavenly Father daily for the things I have learned, the help I have received, and the words of encouragement that come from my therapist, friends, and family members. I couldn't do it without any of these people! That is an absolute truth because I know this was and has really affected me. I know that I was pretty angry a lot of the time, and still struggle with that. It's coming around. I handle things a little differently now. Thank goodness.

Now, don't get me wrong....I'm not a pushover! I'm not going to let someone take advantage of me. It still takes a lot to get me mad or to the point that I will say something. Believe me, I don't just go off just because. It takes some effort on another person's part pushing and pushing to the point that I will say something.

I want to share a story here about a time when I was asked to do wedding flowers for a bride and it was about three weeks before the wedding. This bride and their family could not stick to a decision. Or should I say, the bride knew what she wanted but couldn't stand up to her family members to make them understand what she wanted. In fact, towards the end she just gave in and went with what her family members were suggesting. Until the 10 p.m. the night before here bridal pictures were to be taken and I was completely finished with the bouquet and she called me to change it up. She had to be out the door to get up north by at least 7 a.m. What she was asking me to do was to stay up all night and rip apart the bridal bouquet and start over again. If anyone knows me, it takes a lot of floral tape, wire, fire (candles I mean...I heat the wire in the flame to make it hot enough to go through the silk flower stems to hold them into place) hot glue, and what not to get these silk bouquets up to my standards. Not to mention my time and my poor fingers and hands get very sore. When I make a bouquet it is a labor of love. Sometimes it takes me a couple of tries to get the bouquet just right before I even let the bride see it. I'm serious! I take pride in the work I do. Anyway, you get the idea... So, when this bride called me at 10 p.m. to tell me to change things up, I sort of lost it on her and told her I would deliver the bouquets, boutonniere for the groom as they are and would not complete the order. I just couldn't go through that anymore. It was a roller coaster! AND, these are nice people. I love these people. They just couldn't make a decision and I was pressed for time as it was. Not exactly my best moment for sure, and certainly not something I am proud of at all!

Back to my issue at work....so, bottom line....I had to come home and change. When I got back to work the co-worker that helped me said this other co-worker had plenty to say about me not being in the right kind of clothing. Really??!!! I get it. I was in the wrong. Instead of treating her the way she treated me, I helped her out. She needed to know how to do something on her cellphone, so I showed her how. I could have ignored her request to the team for help, but I didn't. Instead I helped her. She probably thinks I don't know it was her. But, seriously. I watched her run up to our supervisor and let them know I was in jeans. (Oh, just shoot me now!!) There was no doubt about who was complaining. Arg! Again....frustrating, but could I do? I was, after all, in the wrong. Live and learn. I just wish she would consider what I've been through and try to cut me some slake, but I doubt that will ever happen.

I have had this sticky note on my desk for the past week with the words, "twice as good, to get half". It's a term I've heard used a few times by African Americans when speaking of what it takes for them to get ahead in the world. I too have felt that no matter what I do, it just isn't good enough. It seems like I bust my butt everyday at work, but it's never enough. At least not for my team. NO, I am not perfect. I am human and make mistakes....like not showing up in the right clothing. But, everyone else makes mistakes too. I've tried to figure out why they treat me differently than everyone else. I still haven't quite got it all figured out. I thought it was religion when that one person made sure everyone knew they had to be careful what they said around me because I was a Mormon. Now, don't get me wrong, I know I am different. But, right up until that moment no one had blurted that fact out and stated that being Mormon set me apart from the rest of the group. It hurt a little at first. Then, I thought about it and pulled out my scriptures and pulled up a conference talk or two. AND then then it dawned on me. That is what makes me different. The fact that I go to my scriptures and the words of living prophets to search things out, and then I take it to the Lord for help and guidance. So, if this is why you feel you need to "watch it" around me simply because of my religious beliefs, then I am OK with that. I will not apologize for my faith and I will not toss it aside just because you feel you need to watch yourself around me. Truth be told, I'm not wanting to judge you. You are free to make your own choices. I am free to make my own choices. We are all doing the best we can. I just thought we could help each other along the way. Maybe my thoughts were wrong. That's okay. I can honestly say, it doe sting a little to have others not want to be around you. But, it is what it is. I refuse to set aside my beliefs for anyone or anything and that is a guarantee! I know who I am. I know what I stand for and I know where I am going. I am Sondra Schmidt and I am a Mormon! Enough said.

Lexi just popped her head up off the couch to ask me for more Tylenol. I told her we could get her to Urgent Care if we needed to, but the last time she went they gave her two shots in the bum. She doesn't want that again. They did give her a prescription that seemed to really help. If she isn't better by noon tomorrow I will have to drag her out to see our friends at Urgent Care. I hate to see her suffer through this for too long. I'm just glad I was wrong and she wasn't complaining about chest pain. Talk about freaking an old Mom out! Kyle is sound asleep now. He came home from the park where they were suppose to play football, grabbed a shower, and headed off to bed. This new job is really taking it out of him. Little does he know I have big plans for him tomorrow....yard work. I'm going to have to trick him into doing it because it's a chore, and we all know how most kids react when they hear the word chore or work. LOL! Actually, Kyle is pretty good about helping out most of the time. Rarely do I get a complaint out of him. I just like to give him a hard time.

Well, it's late and I really should get to bed. Take care my friends and we will talk again soon.

Hope you have a great weekend!

From the Missionary:

Nothing from the Missionary today. I'm sure we will hear more after their Mission Conference with Elder Holland tomorrow.